Sand-delivery mechanism for tractor-locomotive attachments



May 19, 1925., 1,537,984

J. H. CLARK SAND DELIVERY MECHANISM` FOR TRACTOR LOCOMOTIVE ATTACHMENTS Filed Sept. 24, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l Ma;- le, 1925. '1537,984

J. H. CLARKl SAND DELIVERY MECHANISM FOR TRACTOR LOGOMOTIVE ATTACHMENTS Filed Sept. 24. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @mudo/c Patented May 19, 19257.

UNITED STATES JAMEs H. CLARK, or DETROIT', MICHIGAN.

SAND-DELIVERY MECHANISM FOR TRACTOR-LOCOMOTIVE ATTAGHMENTS.

Application filed September 24, 1923.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JAMES I-I. CLARK, a citizen of the United .States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sand- Delivery Mechanism for Tractor-Locomotive Attachments, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to vehicles and refers more particularly to track sanders therefor.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient sander which is preferably in the form of an attachment for the vehicle and which has a hopper that serves as a seat for the driver of the vehicle.

Another object is to provide suitable conduits upon opposite sides of the vehicle for delivering the sand from the hopper to nozzles disposed preferably both in front of and in rear of the vehicle drive wheels.

Another object is to provide simple and reliable means for directing the flow of sand from the delivery conduit to the nozzles.

Another object is to provide the delivery conduits with suitable means for regulating the flow of sand from the hopper to the directing means.

Another object is to provide a common control means for both the regulating and directing means.

lVith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a tractor and showing a sander embody ing my invention attached thereto;

Figure 2 is a rear end elevation thereof;

Figure 3 is a detail elevation of one of the directing valves;

Figure 4l is a sectional View taken on line l-l of Figure 3; p i

Figure 5 is a'detail top plan View of vone of the valve plates or seats;

Figure 6 is a top plan view of one of the valve members for regulating the flow of sand through one of the delivery conduits;

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through the lower end portion Serial N'o. 664,571.

of one of the reduced leg portions of the hopper.

Referring now to the drawings in Which like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 1 designates a tractor having flanged Wheels 2 fortraveling over the rails 3 of a track.

`For preventing the wheels of the vehicle from slipping over the rails, I provide a track sander 4 that is preferably in the form of an attachment forl the rear end of the tractor. In detail, a hopper 5 preferably straddles the transmission housing 6 of the tractor and is preferably provided with for-v wardly projecting brackets 7 that are preferably bolted to opposite sides of the housing 6 and rearwardly projecting brackets 8 that are connected to the housing 6 by means of curved arms 9.

The usual drivers seat (not shown) for the tractor is preferably removed when my sander is attached and as a substitute therefor the top of the hopper is preferably curved as shown at 10.

The Vsand or other suitable `material is preferably supplied to the hopper through a plurality of spaced fill openings 11 that are preferably located in the top upon opposite sides of the seat portion 10. The sand is delivered to the discharge nozzles 12 by means of inclined conduits 13 which are connected to the reduced leg portions 14 of the hopper. The nozzles are preferably arranged in pairs upon opposite sides of the vehicle and preferably incline downwardly in opposite directions from the forked lower ends 15 of the delivery conduits 13 so as to discharge the sand or other material onto the rails 3 in front of or in rear of the drive wheels 2 of the vehicle.

For controlling the direction of flow of sand according to the direction of travel, I preferably provide a pair of valves 16 that are preferably rotatably ymounted in the forked portions 15 of the delivery conduits. Each valve preferably consists of a substantially diamond-shaped member 17 for directing the iow of sand and a pair of disks 18 that are secured to the ends of the diamond-shaped member and that serve as bearings therefor. In order that both valves 16 may beoperated simultaneously, I preferably provide the diamond-shaped members 17 with suitable stems 19 that project outwardly from the forked portions 15 of the conduits and that are connected at their outer ends to suitable rock arms 20 which are connected to a pair of vertical actuating rods 21 by means of the connecting rods 22 and 23 respectively. The rods 21 preferably extend upwardly through the delivery condults 13 and hopper 5 and preferably pro]ect through the top of the latter adjacent to the seat portion 10. One rod 21 is preferably longer than the other and is preferably provided witli an operating handle 24.-, while the othe rod is preferably operatively connected to the first-mentioned rod by means of a pair ofvparallel linlrs 25 located inthe transversely extending portion hopper.

Thus, operation of the handle in either direction will cause both rods 21 to actuate the connecting rods 22 and 23 which will rock the arms 20 and valve stems 19 with the result that thev diamond-shaped mem* bers 17 Will be rotated to direct the flow v' of sand either forwardly or rearwardly.

For regulating the flow of sand through the delivery conduits 13, I preferably provide a pair of valve members 26 that are adapted to rotate upon a pairy of plates or valve seats 27 at the upper ends of the conduits 13. Each valve member 26 is preferably -provided with a vertical opening 28 that is adapted to register with either of two spaced openings 29 and 30 respectively in the valve seats or plates 27 to permit the flow of sand through the delivery conduits 13 and that is adapted to be disposed between the openings 29 and 30 whenthe flow of sand` is cut off.

The valves 26 are preferably fixed to the rods 21 so that when the latter are actuating both the valves 16 and the valves 26 willy be operated simultaneously. Thus, if it is desired to discharge sand in front of the drive wheels the handle 24 may be turned so that the rods 21 will cause the diamond-shaped members 17 to incline rearwardly and to cause the opening 30 to register. with the opening 28 in the valve meniber 26. If the handles 2lare turned in the opposite direction so that the diamondshaped members 17 would direct the sand rearwardly, then the opening1 28 Iin the,A valveV member 26 would be in registration with the other opening 29 in the valve seat 27.

For yieldably holding the valve members 26 upon their respective valve seats 27, II preferably provide suitable coil springs 31 that preferably surround the rods 21 between metallic washers 32 sleeved thereon and annular shoulders 33 of the conduits 13.

For detachably holding the valve members 26 in adjusted position, I preferably provide a pair of spring-pressed plungers of the` 34 that are located yin recesses 35 in the lower face of the valve members 26 and that are preferably provided with rounded lower ends that are adapted to engage vspaced depressions 36 in thel upper'surface of the plate or valve seat 27.

While it is believed that from the foregoing description the nature and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent- I desire to have it understood that I do not limit myself to what is herein shown and described and that such chan-ges may be resorted to when desired as fall withinl the scope of what is claimed.. Y

What I claim as my invention is 1. The combination with a vehicle,v of a sander attachment therefor including ahopper for the sand straddling a portion of the vehicle and constituting a seat for the driver of the vehicle.

2. In a sander for vehicles, a hopper for the sand, discharge nozzles for the` sand, a delivery conduit for the sand leading from the hopper to the nozzles, means for directing the flow of sand conduit to said nozzles, means for regulating the How of sand through said delivery-i conduit, and. a common control means for both said regulating and directing means.

3. In a sander for vehicles, a hopper for the sand, a pair of discharge nozzles for the sand, a common supply conduit for both, nozzles, and roclrable means for directing the iow of sand from said conduit to either of said nozzles. Y i

el'. In a sander for vehicles, a hopper for. the sand having` a portion constituting a seat for the driver of the vehicle, a discharge nozzle for the sand, means for supplying sand from said hopper to said nozzle, means for regulating the supply of sand, and means engaging another portion of the hopper convenient to the seat portion for operating said regulating means.

5.` In a sander for vehicles, a hopper located above the bodyof said vehicle and. having portions extending downwardly upon opposite sides thereof, a discharge nozzle connected to each of said downwardly extending portions, a valve in each downwardly extending portion for regulating the How of sand, rods connected to said valves, a vconnection between said rods, and means for actuating one of said rods for operating both of said valves.

6. In a sander for vehicles, a hopper liof cated above the body of. said vehicle and having portions extending downwardly upon opposite sides thereof, a discharge nozzle connected to each of said downwardly extending portions, a valve in each downwardly extending portion for regulating the flow of sand, and a common actuating means for said valves.

7. In a sander for vehicles, a hopper for from said delivery the sand, a discharge nozzle for the sand, a delivery conduit for the sand leading from the hopper to the nozzle, a valve seat Within said conduit having` an aperture therein, a valve member engaging said seat and having an opening adapted to register with the opening in said valve sea-t, and means for actuating said valve to cause the opening therein to register with the opening in said seat.

8. In a sander for Vehicles, a hopper for the sand, a discharge nozzle for the sand, a delivery conduit for the sand leading from the hopper to the nozzle, a valve seat Within said conduit having spaced apertures therein, a rotary valve engaging said seat and having an opening adapted to register with the openings in said valve seat, and means lfor rotating said valve upon said seat to cause the opening therein to register With one of the openings in said seat.

9. In a sander for vehicles, a hopper for the sand, a discharge nozzle for the sand, a delivery conduit for the sand leading from the hopper to the nozzle, a valve seat Within the conduit having an aperture therein, a valve member engaging said seat and having an opening adapted to register with the opening in said seat, means for actuating said valve member to cause the opening therein to register With the opening in said seat, and means for detchably holding said valve member when said openings are in registration.

l0. In a sander for vehicles, a hopper for the sand, a discharge nozzle for the sand, a delivery conduit for the sand leading from the hopper to the nozzle, a valve seat Within said conduit having a plurality of spaced apertures therein, a valve member engaging said seat and having an opening adapted to register with the openings in said seat, means for actuating said valve member to cause the opening therein to register with the openings in said seat, yieldable means for holding said valve against said seat, and automatically operated means for detachably holding said Valve member when the opening therein is in registration with any of the openings in said seat.

ll. rIhe combination with a vehicle, of a sander attachment therefor including a hopper, brackets upon said hopper detachably secured to the bodv of said vehicle, and supporting arms connected to said hopper and detachably secured to the body of said vehicle.

l2. In a sander for vehicles, a hopper for the sand, discharge nozzles for the sand, means for supplying sand from the hopper to said nozzles, means for controlling the flow of sand through said nozzles, means for regulating the supply of sand to said controlling means, and a common means for operating both said controlling and regulating means.

13. In a sander fo-r vehicles, a hopper for the sand, discharge nozzles for the sand, means for supplying sand from the hopper to said nozzles, means for controlling the iloW of sand through said nozzles, means for regulating the supply of sand to said controlling means, and a manually-operated means for operating both said controlling and regulating means.

14C. The combination With a tractor, of a sander attachment therefor having a hopper4 straddling the transmission housing of the tractor, said housing being closed at the upper end thereof, the closed upper end having a ll opening, and a portion adjacent to said opening constituting a seat for the driver of the tractor.

15. ,The combination With a vehicle, of a sander attachment therefor including a hopper straddling a portion of the vehicle having discharge means at one side of the vehicle and a seat portion for the driver of the vehicle.

16. In a sander for vehicles, a hopper for the sand, discharge nozzles for the sand, a single conduit for supplying sand from the hopper to the nozzles, a rocker in the conduit for controlling the flow of sand through the nozzles, a valve in said conduit for regulating the supply of sand to said rocker, and a common operating means for said rocker and valve.

17 In a sander for Vehicles, a hopper for the sand, discharge nozzles for the sand, a single conduit for supplying sand from the hopper to the nozzles, means for controlling the flow of sand through said nozzles including a rocker in the conduit, means for regulating the supply of sand to said controlling means including a valve in the conduit, and a shaft directly secured to the valve and indirectly secured to the rocker for operating both said controlling and regulating means.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JAMES H. CLARK.. 

